Reading-stand



PATENTED FEB. 23, 1904.

A. HOWE. READING STAND. APPLICATION FILED 14113.12, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

Ar'mv WITNESSES UNITED STATES Patented February 23, 1904.

ANDREW HOWE, OF OLEMA, CALIFORNIA.

READING-STAND.

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 752,977, dated February 23, 1904.

Application filed March 12, 1903- To all whom it may concern.-

. Be it known that I, ANDREW HOWE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Olema, county of Marin, State of'Oalifornia, have invented an Improvement in Reading-Stands; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to a device which is especially designed to support books, magazines, newspapers, and other rigid or flexible reading matter in such convenient position that it can be perused by persons sitting, standing, or lying in anydesired position.

It consists of a frame or rack having turnable supports at the bottom upon which the book or paper may rest, extensions to either one or both sides removably attached, so as to regulate the width of the rack to the book or paper, a lamp or candle bracket with attachments by which it may be adjusted upon either side of the rack or its extensions for convenience, and means for supporting the rack in various positions and angles either by speciallyprepared stands or by means of attachment to bed, chairs, or other furniture.

My invention also comprises details of construction which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings,

in which Figure 1 shows one form of my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail of upper part of brace 15, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of transverse-bar extension supported on projections on the rack. Fig. 4 shows arrangement where a number of racks may be placed round a table.

My apparatus consists of a rack or frame A, which may be of any suitable or well-known construction. I have here shown it as consisting of side and transverse bars mortised or otherwise secured together to form a rectangular frame. One or both of the side bars of this frame may have holes bored transversely to receive the rods 2, and at the outer ends of these rods are fixed side bars 3, so that when a newspaper or other large article is to be supported it may extend outward over these supplemental side bars and be prevented from folding backwardly. The lower edge of the of the rack, and, if desired, for the purpose of supporting a newspaper with the edge lower down a transverse bar 5 may be laid upon the supports 4, this bar having dependent upturned strips 6, in which the lower edge of the paperor large book may be supported below the level of the lower part of the rack and so low that the upper edge will be prevented from turning backwardly over the top, this bottom plate adjusting the device to support any style of book or paper which it is desired to read. Upon the sides of the side and extension bars are loops or eyelets 7, and in these a bracket or support for lamp, candle, or other equivalent lighting device 8 may be removably fitted, so that when the smaller rack is being used the device can be placed upon it, and when the broader supplemental attachments are employed it can be transferred to the outer edge. The bracket is adapted to swing about a pivot hinge or pin and may be set in different po sitions, so that the light will suit. In order to properly support this rack at the desired angle and in various positions where it may be used, I have shown stands, as at 9, which may have either fixed stationary legs or the legs may be hinged and capable of being spread when set upon the ground to provide a sufficiently wide and steady base. Through the top of this stand and, if desired, a second guide below the top extends a rod 11. The upper end of this rod extends through the two lower bars of the rack, and thus forms a standard by which the rack may be supported from the previously-described stands, and in this position it may be set either central vertically or at any point or points around the edges of a circular top.

In some cases where a number of readers may desire to use different literature several of these racks may be supported around the periphery of a single stand and turnable from side to side, so as to maintain the most favorable light.

In some cases it may be found desirable to set the stand up with a rearwardly-extending brace, as at 15. When such connection is desired, staples are fixed upon the top bar of the rack and a yoke or link 16 is turnably attached to these staples. A strip 17 is folded to pass around the central portion of this link and each end extends down along the braces 15. One end of this strip 17 may be secured to the brace and the other end left free, as shown in Fig. 2. A clamping-ring 18 is slidable upon the brace and may be moved so as to compress the free end of the bent plate and hold it firmly but removably attached to the brace-leg 15.

Havingthus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A book or paper support consisting of a substantially rectangular rack or frame and supporting means therefor, projections exrest upon said supports having downwardlyprojecting upturned strips whereby the loweredge support may be extended below the bottom of the rack.

3. A reading-support for books or papers consisting of a main -and supplemental rack, supports for the lower edge of the paper connected with the rack, removable side extensions, and a supporting-stand adapted to receive one or more of said racks, said stand having holes bored in the top, and rods entering said holes and connected with the racks whereby the latter are adjustably mounted upon the supports.

h In1 witness whereof I have hereunto set my ANDREW HOWE.

Witnesses-z S. H. NoURsE, JEssIE O. BRODIE. 

